Documented by Meta. The steps and rules on this page come from Meta’s own documentation.
How do I run cross-sell and upsell ads on Meta?
Use Advantage+ catalog ads with two different product sets: one is shown in the ad, the other builds the audience. Meta says to include recent purchasers for cross-selling, and people who viewed or added to cart, minus recent purchasers, for upselling. It needs a catalog and a pixel or SDK tracking product events.
Run cross-sell or upsell ads when you have a catalog, a pixel or SDK tracking product events, and products that pair with each other. They fit poorly with a single product or no catalog, because Meta’s method needs two different product sets. In short, cross-sell shows related products to people who bought, and upsell shows a higher-margin product to people still considering another. This page helps you choose and pair; setup steps are in the related entries.
Which one are you running, cross-sell or upsell?
Meta says you can use Advantage+ catalog ads for either, to promote related or complementary products. Its stated aim is to increase the lifetime value or average order value of your customers.
| Point | Cross-sell | Upsell |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees it | People who bought a product | People considering another product |
| What you show | Related or complementary products | A similar product with a higher profit margin |
| Meta’s example | Ski boots to people who bought skis | Handbags from a more expensive brand to someone who viewed a handbag |
| Audience to include | People who purchased | People who viewed or added to cart |
| Audience to exclude | None listed on the Meta pages cited here | People who purchased |
For both, Meta says the audience should be based on a different product set than the one you are advertising.
How do the two product sets work?
Meta says cross-selling or upselling requires 2 different product sets. You select one to show people in your ads, and you use the other to create a catalog custom audience of the people to show the ads to.
Mapped onto Meta’s examples, the audience set holds the skis or the viewed handbags, and the advertised set holds the ski boots or the pricier handbags. That mapping is a reading of Meta’s wording.
How do you decide which products to pair?
Meta says to create product sets carefully: think about which related products you could cross-sell after a purchase, or which you could upsell while someone considers another product. The Meta pages cited here give no rule for choosing pairs, so the rest is advertiser practice:
- Start from pairs your own order history already shows, such as items bought together.
- Meta defines upselling by a higher profit margin, not just a higher price, so check the margin on the pair first. That is a reading of Meta’s wording.
- Keep pairs narrow if you want each ad to stay relevant. The cost is more product sets to maintain and a smaller audience for each.
How long does “recently” last?
Meta’s best practices say to use people who purchased “recently”, and the Meta pages cited here give no number of days for it. When you build the catalog custom audience, Meta lets you enter a minimum number of interactions or the number of days people stay in the audience after an interaction. So the window is your choice.
Advertiser practice is to tie it to when a follow-up purchase makes sense for your products.
Can you run it without a catalog?
Meta’s website custom audience page lists upselling and cross-selling as a use: show products to people who have already made a purchase on your website. The pages cited here give no pairing rules for that route. The two-product-set rules above are documented for catalog ads, so splitting by product on a website audience is your own setup.
How does it sit with your other catalog ads?
Meta says to add cross-sell and upsell campaigns alongside your existing Advantage+ catalog ads, to help increase your chances of reaching people with relevant ads. So it is an addition, not a replacement. The Meta pages cited here do not say how to split budget between them. Compare them in your own reporting.
How can you decide for your own account?
- Confirm you have a catalog and a Meta Pixel or app SDK tracking product interactions, which Meta names among its requirements.
- Decide who you are talking to: buyers (cross-sell) or people still considering (upsell).
- Write the pair: the product set that builds the audience, and a different one you will show.
- For an upsell, check that the higher-priced product has a better margin.
- Pick the number of days people stay in the audience.
- Compare results against your existing catalog ads in your own reporting.
FAQ
Is a cross-sell ad the same as a retargeting ad?
Not on Meta’s definitions. Retargeting includes people who viewed or added to cart and excludes purchasers. Cross-sell includes purchasers. Upsell is closest to retargeting, with the same viewers and cart-adders, but built from a different product set than the one advertised.
Do I need a pixel to run cross-sell ads?
For catalog custom audiences, Meta says to set up product-interaction tracking, including a catalog of your products and a Meta Pixel or app SDK on your website or app. Meta says the audience is based on people who interacted with products from a product set.
What are cross-sell and upsell ads meant to do?
Meta describes the aim as increasing the lifetime value or average order value of your customers. That is the stated purpose, not a measured result, and the Meta pages cited here give no figures. Check your own order value before and after.
Sources
- Best practices for cross-selling or upselling with Advantage+ catalog ads (Meta, checked 3 Oct 2026)
- Create a catalog custom audience (Meta, checked 3 Oct 2026)
- About website custom audiences (Meta, checked 3 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI and checked claim by claim against the pages linked under Sources. Found a mistake? Tell us via the corrections policy.